Jeremiah 12

1. Righteous art Thou. Whatever difficulty we may find in understanding parts of God’s ways, we should always hold fast the conviction that He is righteous. On the subject of the prosperity of the wicked, cp. Psa. xxxvii.

4. The beasts are consumed, etc. The animate and inanimate creation suffer through the prevalence of wickedness.

He shall not see our last end. That is, the prophet’s threats will not be fulfilled.

5 the swelling of Jordan. Rather, “the pride of Jordan”; or “the jungle of Jordan” (Moffatt), as in Zech. xi. 3; a poetic expression for the dense and luxuriant thickets on its banks, affording shelter to lions and other wild beasts; see xlix. 19; l. 44. The meaning is, “If thou art afraid of ordinary dangers or perplexed by a difficulty like that (v. 1), how wilt thou endure greater?” It refers to the severer sufferings which Jeremiah would have to bear.

10 pastors. “Shepherds”: see note on ii. 8. Nomad shepherds are meant.

12 high places. Rather, as R.V., “bare heights.”

14 mine evil neighbours. The Ammonites, Moabites, etc., “the birds and beasts of prey” (9), which had joined in spoiling God’s heritage: see 2 Kings xxiv. 1-4; Psa. cxxxvii. 7.

16 they. That is, the neighbouring nations, who had so often enticed Israel to idolatry. There is a future even for these heathen people, if they will acknowledge the true God. The fulfilment of this is in the Church of Christ; cp. Ezek. xvi. 53-63.